"Milk & Honey"
Acrylic on Canvas
30x24"
2008

Message from the Artist:
Milk is the symbol of the first aspect of love, that of care and affirmation. Honey symbolizes the sweetness of life, the love for it and the happiness in being alive. Most mothers are capable of giving “milk,” but only a minority of giving “honey” too. In order to be able to give honey, a mother must not only be a “good mother”, but a happy person…

Erich Fromm
(1900-1980)
American Psychoanalyst

I was intensely inspired by the above quote. Therefore, the child in this painting is well-loved, comfortable, pink in the face from play and affection. The mother – not only does she love the dickens out of her child, but she is also pursuing that which makes her a happy person.

There is a fine balance, I think, in knowing where it’s okay to draw the line with one aspect of life (“right now I’m going to take a break from playing, honey”), so that you can give some attention to the other – thus helping one to feel like more of a whole person. I’m in the process of learning this right now.

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